A decision on whether Emanuel Navarrete’s technical decision victory over Charly Suarez will stand is to be made on June 2, reports have suggested.
The WBO world super-featherweight champion successfully defended his strap last Saturday, only for the result of that contest to be swiftly placed under the microscope.
As it happened, their bout was halted in the eighth round after a cut on Navarrete’s left eyebrow, which had opened in the sixth frame, was deemed too severe for the Mexican to continue.
According to referee Edward Collantes, the gash was caused by an accidental head clash, which, in turn, meant that the judges’ scorecards were ultimately in play.
All of which swung in favour of Navarrete, 40-2-1 (32 KOs), though a video replay of the incident later revealed that his cut had been caused by a punch from Suarez, 18-0 (10 KOs).
And yet, at the time, veteran referee Jack Reiss – who is now the video replay official for the California State Athletic Commission – chose not to challenge Collantes’ decision.
Because of that, Suarez and his team filed an official appeal yesterday, requesting that the result be overturned to a no-contest or, better still, a stoppage victory in his favour.
However, it has been widely reported that the Filipino’s appeal will not be heard until June 2, when the CSAC holds its next meeting.
As a result, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed via social media that his organisation will not make a decision – most likely an immediate rematch – before the Commission has discussed the matter.
He wrote on X yesterday: “Having the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) the legal authority and jurisdiction over the bout in question, the WBO must await an official final [and] definitive ruling by CSAC to proceed accordingly.”
